June 18, 2008

I love my tile floors!

I won’t have carpet in my home. Maybe if I lived in a place that gets cold I would consider it, at least for the bedrooms, but I really don’t care for carpeted floors. They’re hard to keep clean, especially when you share your home with a dog. I’m not talking about piddling - though that does happen from time to time. The thing I really hate is the way that hair clings to carpets. The world’s best vacuum cannot get all of the hair up, never mind the regular dirt that filters into it. Being a termite inspector, I’ve pulled up the edges of carpets many times. Have you ever seen the crud that collects down there? If you had, you’d never have carpets in your home either, especially if you have allergies or someone in your home has asthma. The tile floors in my home were a major attraction for me when I was home-shopping. They’re so easy to clean, and when I’ve cleaned them I know that they are really clean - everything comes up easily and there’s no place for crud to hide. An added bonus is that my home is as much as twenty degrees cooler than my neighbors’ homes on some of our hot tropical days. Twenty degrees - that puts me in a nice comfort zone when my neighbors are sweltering. My only disappointment is that the previous owner had no sense of style. My tile floors are beige. Can you imagine choosing beige when there are so many design possibilities with tile? Remember I told you a few weeks ago that I’m getting ready to start painting inside? The paint is already on hand and the color is terra cotta. I’d love to swap out the floor tiles for terra cotta, too. I’ve been reading about Mexican saltillo tile and that’s what I’d like to have. Authentic Saltillo Tile only comes from Saltillo, Coahuila Mexico and it is made by hand. I love the color variations and slight imperfections in natural, hand-made terra cotta tile. I inspected a home near Diamon Head recently that has it, complete with dog paw prints on a couple of the tiles. How perfect would that be for me? Tile floors can last a lifetime, too. They don’t wear down like wooden floors or carpets and they don’t get scuff marks. Well, we don’t wear shoes inside in Hawaii, so I never get them, but if you do get a few they’ll come right off. I don’t know when I’ll get to re-do my floors. I’ve already got the paint for all of the walls and the wood for new kitchen cabinets and the pre-made cabinet and vanity for my master bath. Those jobs have to be finished first, but one of these days I’m hoping to install Mexican Saltillo tile to finish things off and bring it all together. I’ll enjoy having it for as long as I own my home and it will be a huge selling point if I ever decide to sell. If you’re thinking about some changes around your own place, check out Saltillo Tile. I’ll bet you’ll find something you like!

Technorati Tags: flooring, Saltillo Tile, tile, tile floors

June 4, 2008

Improving my desgin

I’m finally working on my house again. The first big job will be painting the interior. I’m prepping now, so don’t mind the paper on the doors and the patches on the walls, please. Several years ago I had the open-decked lanai torn out. In its place I now have a screened lanai/multi-purpose room. My washer and dryer are out there, I have plenty of built-in storage and there are two benches beneath the large screened windows out of view to the left and behind me in the picture above. My tiny side yard is also behind me, and my herb and tropicals garden. I use the screened door to the left to enter the house from the front lanai. It’s really convenient because I can set anything I’m carrying inside, go out for another trip (and another and another if I found some shopping bargains!) and not worry about Lance getting out (the baby gate is temporary - it will be replaced with a screen door soon.) We don’t wear our shoes inside in Hawaii, so it’s also a convenient place to take them off and have them ready to go for next time. All-in-all I’m pretty happy with the room. It’s got some design flaws, though. I acted as my own general contractor and I’m not exactly an expert. A licensed contractor would have pointed out any problems with my plans and helped me find ways to correct them. The carpenter I hired just went along with my original design. Notice my lovely tile floors? They’re very practical when I come in from outside during our rainy winters, or when I’m dirty coming in from the garden. They’re also very hard! I came out of the house with a load of laundry one day and toppled off of the deck to the tiled slab below. I’m very lucky to have had only a few bumps and buises to show for it. A contractor would have seen the danger in having an elevation change so close to a door and would have insisted that I have guard rails along the upper level and the stairs. I’ll have to have them retro-fitted now, but I’ve found a great place to get just what I want. Picketed rails look great on the lanai outside, but I want something open and airy inside, to suit the room.

This is exactly what I’ve been wanting! Tempered glass inserts will provide safety without blocking all of the lovely sunlight that floods into my dining area or blocking my view through the room into my garden. The metal components are fitted together with self-drilling/self-tapping hardware, so I could probably do the work myself except for needing someone to hold the glass while I install it. Yeah, like I would be that stupid again! No, this time I’ll let a pro do the work, but after we discuss what I want we’ll be going to the link above to get everything we need to make the room safer without compromising the design. I’m a - ahem - mature woman now, and a broken hip would put a serious crimp in style. I’ve already bought some no-skid patches to put on the stairs. Now I just need to find a contractor bold enough to tell this old gal the right way to finish making things safe.

Technorati Tags: building design, guard rails, home design, safety, stair rails

April 28, 2008

Birthstone jewelry for Mother’s Day

My son came to visit me for Mother’s Day last year. It’s not something he can do every year, as his time-off schedule is subject to the whims of other people. If he can’t come for Mother’s Day this year he’ll try for my birthday. I’d rather he make it for Mother’s Day, simply because it comes first, but it’s always a good time when he visits, no matter the time of year. We work in the garden and go to the beach and to restaurants for the local foods he misses. I can’t seem to get it through his head that by the time he arrives I’m excited about the prospect of cooking for him - he seems to think his visits should create no work for me, silly boy! I guess he’ll understand when he has kids of his own that parents revel in doing things for their kids. He thinks that should be a one-way street, with him giving and me recieving. And, oh, he knows how to give! I’m not sure where he got his talent for selecting presents. Since he was quite young he’s had a knack for picking just the right gifts to make my heart sing. I’ve told you about he insect jewelry collection he started for me shortly after I began my career in pest control. He also started and frequently contributes to my collection of kaleidoscopes, and likes to give me board games which we play when he visits. Whatever else he gives me, he always includes a Border’s gift card, too, since one can never have too many books. I can’t wait to see what he gives me when he finally gets around to blessing my with grandkids. Lots of framed photos, I’m sure, and maybe some birthstone jewelry, something to which I can add a charm with each addition to the family. I’d love to have something like that, with a tiny jewel I could touch each day to bring babies to mind. It would start with a garnet for his own birthstone, of course, and one for the love of his life. Then another and another as the years pass and his family grows. Oh, yeah! I’d like that lot. It won’t happen for me this year, but I know it will someday. Until then I content myself by weaving dreams and by making wish lists and wondering whether his first son will have my unfortunate family nose or his father’s amazing eyes. Ah, the stuff of dreams! I think I’ll go browse the birthstone jewelry again and work on those wish lists. I should be prepared, don’t you think, for those happy crowded-house days that will come someday!

Technorati Tags: birthstone jewelry, gifts, grandchildren, jewelry, Mother’s Day, sons

March 21, 2008

These cufflinks must have been made for me!

My friend is on the mainland this week. Her son graduated from bootcamp in Georgia yesterday (Congratulations, Drew! I’m so proud of you!) I wouldn’t call her a frequent flyer, but she certainly travels more than I do, usually going to the mainland about twice a year. She has the same problem that I do with clutter, so she doesn’t keep a full cold-weather wardrobe. Since most of her travels are in the summer it’s not a problem, but this time there was recent snow where she was going. I offered to loan her my leather jacket and a trench with a zip-out lining. She wanted to travel light, though, so she only took what she could cram into one suitcase and is probably freezing. At one time I had a closet full of jackets, sweaters and suits, having lived in chilly San Francisco before I moved to Hawaii. They’re all gone now, donated to United Cerebral Palsey when I first started my de-cluttering frenzy a year or so ago. I kept two long-sleeved shirts that I used to wear with suits, but rarely get to wear them. The reason I kept them is because they are both timeless classics with French cuffs and I love that look. Somewhere along the line,though, I’ve lost most of the cufflinks that I used to wear with them. I think I have one pair of plain gold button cufflinks left. It would be silly to invest in a whole jewelry box full of them, but I do need to get a few more pair and I really like these Modern Cufflinks a lot. The last time I wore my green silk shirt with the French cuffs was at a pest control conference, so wouldn’t the skeeter cufflinks be perfect for next time? Not to mention, of course, that they provide a little opportunity to play with my online name, which none of my professional cohorts know about. I have a few pieces of insect jewelry that I’ve collected over the years, but no spiders, so the spider cufflinks would be nice, too, don’t you think?

For those of you with a less whimsical fashion sense, take a look at the rest of the jewelry at Tateossian.com. I promise you don’t have to love insects to love their stuff! The contemporary designs incorporating semi-precious stones, fiber optic glass, and CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements, are all classy and elegant (don’t you love they way they even make pesky bugs look elegant?) Robert Tateossian is the “King of Cufflinks,” but there’s much more than just cufflinks in his collections. Every piece reflects the same fine hand-finished craftsmanship as the ones I’ve shown here, and there are stylishly unique designs for both men and women. They’re in better department stores everywhere, in addition to their own stores and in-flight magazines on some airlines. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day will both be here soon, so it’s not too early to shop for a special piece to surprise your loved one. My boy always treats me well for Mother’s Day and my birthday, so I’ll be dropping some heavy hints about those cufflinks soon.

Technorati Tags: cufflinks, jewelry, Tateossian.com

March 11, 2008

Naked Naturals for your hair

I love getting free samples. I have several “free sample” websites bookmarked and my mail carrier frequently comments on all the goodies she gets to deliver to me. It’s a great way to try out products before you buy. I’ve recently changed toothpaste and mouthwash and have added some tasty foods to my pantry, too, after trying samples first. I was looking forward to trying out a natural shampoo recently, but when the sample arrived I was a little disappointed. I have a lot of allergies and the shampoo I got contained citrus, which I can’t use. When that happens I try to find someone else who is interested in the product, and I knew my friend would be interested in trying Naked Naturals so I gave it to her. She and I are both big fans of natural cosmetics and toiletries and both try to find products that aren’t tested on animals. Naked Naturals qualified and she really enjoyed using it. She mentioned that it didn’t overlather and leave her hair feeling like it was full of residues. Her hair feels lighter and cleaner and she liked the citrus fragrance. Her endorsement is good enough for me, so I’ll be trying the Naked Naturals Awapuhi & Lavender shampoo and conditioner. Some of y’all already know that I grow lavender and that it’s my favorite scent. I also grow ginger (awapuhi) and have some shampoo ginger seeds I’ll be starting soon, so how perfect is that for me? Naked Natural contains no drying lauryl / laureth sulfates or other harsh chemicals, so that’s good for my hair, which dries out too easily in our tropical climate. The Naked Natural shampoos contain Keravis instead, a natural plant protein that can make your hair up to seven times stronger. If you prefer natural products for your own hair, check out the site and then come tell me which formula you think will be best for you.

Technorati Tags: hair care, Naked Naturals, natural shampoo, review, shampoo

February 10, 2008

Turning Valentines roses into the ultimate romantic statement

This is for all of my male readers. It’s especially for those of you within my own generation. Actually, there’s something of substance here for the gals my age, too. Let’s face it: our memory isn’t what it used to be. Raise your hand if you meant to go out shopping for a Valentine’s gift this weekend. Now raise your hand if you actually did it. Uh, huh! See what I mean? We’re so full of good intentions, but much too easily distracted. I’m at that age now where I wander to the kitchen for a glass of water, notice a dirty coffee cup in the sink, wash it … and my memory is suddenly a clean slate. Half an hour later I realize that I’m still thirsty. It seems like we’re always meaning to do certain things and then just forgetting! You wanted to take some time over the weekend to pick out a really special gift for Valentine’s, one that would truely convey the depths of your passionate devotion to that special person. You really intended to do it right after you washed the car. Then you remembered that squeaky hinge and the investment brochure you wanted to read. I can’t read without falling asleep these days either, so don’t feel bad about the nap that sucked the life out of the rest of your Saturday. Today you’re watching that sport’s special, even though you know that the nap thing will keep you from seeing the end. Your Sunday is going to wind down just like Saturday did and you still won’t have gotten a Valentine’s gift. That’s okay, though. Your pal Skeet is here to help you stay out of the doghouse. You’re going to send valentines roses and you’re going to do it just right. Pay attention now, okay?

First, follow that link above and scroll down the page to the box that says “What kind of flower is your Valentine?” Click on that. See the descriptions of different personality types and the flowers that suit them best? Give it a quick read. See the flaw? Your woman fits every category! She’s funny and passionate and classy and utterly devoted to you, isn’t she? You’re going to use that knowledge to make this Valentine’s the one that she’ll remember for the rest of her life. You’re going to make a bold statement that says “I love everything about you!” Starting tomorrow, she’s going to get flowers from you every day until Valentine’s Day.

You probably should start with daisies and a sweetly sentimental note that says something about not wanting to wait until Valentine’s Day to tell her how much you love her. She’ll be totally floored and she’ll probably cry, but you know her well enough to know that it will be happy tears. On Tuesday pick another facet of her personality. Tuesday would be a good day to let her know that her wildly exotic side is the reason you’ve never needed that little blue pill. Say it with orchids. Remind her that you haven’t given her an orchid since that ghastly prom corsage that you’ve been meaning to make up for all of these years. Make sure she’s sitting down when your gift arrives, though. She’ll still be weak in the knees from yesterday’s thoughtfulness. Now, she’s a pretty clever woman, so she’ll see the pattern and is going to be expecting flowers on Wednesday, so you’re going to have to pull out all of the stops. I’d suggest tulips along with a note telling her how proud and amazed you are that such a classy and glamorous woman has chosen to spend her life with you. She’s going to be dizzy with excitement by the time Thursday rolls around! Thursday is Valentine’s Day, and that’s when you’ll give her roses. They’re the most romantic of flowers, so she’s probably going to expect them, but you’re still going to take her breath away. Hold them behind your back and drop down on one knee. Tell her that the love you share is timeless and that you regret every single day that you didn’t let her know that she’s the center of your universe. Lay the roses gently in her lap as you vow that every day you have remaining will be a celebration of the love you share. Siiiiiiiiiigh! I’m getting all teary-eyed just thinking about what an amazing and romantic guy you are.

There’s only one way this plan can fail, but you’re not going to let that happen. You’re still reading, so you haven’t gotten into your Sunday afternoon nap yet. Don’t even distract yourself with a trip to the kitchen for that glass of water before you set the plan in action. Your online florist will help you set up the right deliveries for the right days, so you can do it all with a single phone call or visit to the website. Actually, there’s one other call you should probably make. You’re going to be … busy … every night this week and you don’t want exhaustion to derail your romantic Valentine’s night. Call your doctor tomorrow and get yourself set up with that little blue pill you’ve never needed before. You’re almost guaranteed to need it by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around!

Now ladies, I haven’t forgotten that I said this was for you, too. You’re probably way ahead of me, but just in case you haven’t figured it out, here’s how you can let this plan go to work for you. Copy this post, but cut off this paragraph. Ask your man to read it because you’re wondering if you should share it with your brother/cousin/friend who needs a little help in the romance department. See how he drops his chin and turns his eyes away? He doesn’t want to let you read in his face just how clever he thinks he is. Make sure you act surprised when your daisies arrive on Monday! And make sure he doesn’t know that you’re going to turn the tables on him. The only time he ever got flowers was when he got his appendix out, right? Any man romantic enough to follow the Skeet Plan for a Romantic Valentine’s Day is going to have a problem not turning into a sobbing mess when you present him with a dozen long-stemmed roses on Valentines Day, each with a little fotune cookie-like note declaring the ways that you love him. Do yourself a little favor, though. If he forgets the Monday-morning call to his doctor, do it yourself. You’ll thank me for that reminder as the week progresses.

Technorati Tags: florists, flowers, romance, romantic advice, roses, Valentines

January 29, 2008

Be eco-friendly!

Do you “shop green?” I think most of us do these days. We’ve learned, much too late, how fragile our world is and just how badly we’ve abused it. Much of the harm we’ve done can’t be repaired, but we all have an obligation to mend our ways and minimize the footprint we leave behind in our environment. It’s a concept I incorporate into my life and shopping practices. I look for eco products that minimize packaging, do no harm to our environment in their creation and that are offered by companies that support a healthier environment. That’s why I’ve bookmarked greenandmore.com and why you should take a look and consider using their services. First and foremost, they’ve got a great line of eco-friendly products, including energy saving appliances, solar power products, home improvement, water conservation products, eco furniture, lighting, eco garden, outdoor living, home decor, accessories and more. I love their gadget department (I’m all about gadgets, you know!) After that horrible marathon power outage in December I had a dozen or so batteries to dispose of, having used my flahlights, lantern and portable radio for so many days in a row. I’ve been meaning ever since then to shop for a crank-powered radio and more eco-efficient emergency lighting and I’ve found my choices today at Green and More.

I’m not terribly impressed by companies that make their money off of eco-products and don’t “walk the walk,” so I checked out the other features at greenandmore.com to see how they perform as environmentalists. I have to say I like what I found! Their brick-and-mortar operation incorporates eco-friendly practices into their everyday operation: no plasticware, recycled office supplies and kitchen goods, 100% recycled cardboard boxes, etc. They buy their operating supplies from companies that use recycled components and practice energy efficiency in their power-usage. Make sure you check out their information on charitable causes, too. They suppoort Oceana, Healthy Child Healthy World and a number of other worthy causes and environmental efforts that are helping make our world a better place. Their staff and community blog Green Musings gives a lot of detail bout how they’re working to enact their motto: Caring for tomorrow’s world. Make sure you check out the Learning Center on your first visit. I’ve already bookmarked it as a resource for all things environmental. Part of their mission statement says: “We hope to educate and inspire everyone to minimize our impact on the planet.” Their own input is solid and inspiring, but they also back it up with expert advice from respected sources like the EPA and US Department of Energy. Greenandgo.com is a one-stop source for eco-education and hundreds of environmentally-friendly products. Check them out and see what you think!

Technorati Tags: eco-products, eco-friendly shopping, environment, going green

January 24, 2008

Game O Love

Most of you know that I’m pretty much an old fuddy-dud. It’s been - well, let’s just say that it’s been well over a decade since I’ve been a player in the Game O Love. I still celebrate Valentine’s Day, though. My son’s birthday is at the end of January, so I’ll be sending some Valentine’s goodies in his birthday package. I finished my shopping today, so hopefully he’ll actually get the package on time. He and his girlfriend will get some chocolates and other little tokens of my love for them. What can I say? We’re a sentimental family.

If I win Overstock.com’s “Game O Love” they’ll get something more substantial. You know about Overstock.com, right? It’s the online store where you can find bargain prices for almost anything you can dream of. I’ve been browsing over there today and discovered they even have a pet category where I can get a Valentine’s Day present for Lance the beagle. They’ve got a great Valentine’s shopping guide for those of you who need a little help picking the perfect gift. I skipped right over that, though, and went straight to “electronics” because I know just what I’d like to win for the kids. They’re both TV addicts. My son watches a lot of sports and the two of them have several weekly shows they watch together. Wouldn’t it be great to surpise them with a new TV for Valentine’s Day?

Don’t you think this Panasonic 37″ Plasma Display TV would be perfect? It’s not just a TV. It’s all set to go with seamless integration in virtually any AV, PC or interactive environment, so they can switch over to their game console when they’re not watching Prison Break or the Speed Racer DVDs I sent for Christmas. Yeah, I think that!

Now it’s your turn. What would you like to win in Overstock.com’s Valentine’s Day Game? It’s really easy to enter. Just click on any link in this post, enter your email address and you’re done. Well, except for the shopping part. You need to decide what you’d like to win. Maybe some home gym equipment you can share with your love? Jewelry or designer accessories for the special lady in your life? Sports collectibles for the man who rocks your world? The contest starts tomorrow (which is already today for most of you) and runs until February 11th, so if you’re my secret admirer you’ll have time to find me the perfect gift. Hint: check out their Worldstock handcrafted items. Anything will do - really! I’m not hard to please.

Technorati Tags: contests, Overstock.com, shopping, Valentine’s Day

January 11, 2008

Clean on the Go!

You know that strange phenomenon that occurs when you think of something that hasn’t been in your mind for a while, and then it suddenly pops up again? A couple of weeks ago I asked a friend whether she knew if they still make dry shampoo. She didn’t know. I used to use it when I was a teenager. The humidity in and around New Orleans did terrible things to my hair. The very thought of going out with dirty hair used to send me into a paroxism of teen angst, so I would give it a quick dry shampoo whenever I didn’t have time to shower. Perhaps that’s why I was always the belle of the ball, ya think? Anyway, I hadn’t seen or heard of the stuff in years, but was thinking it would be great for keeping Buddy clean, since he was so feeble that I hated to bathe him. That got me to thinking that it would be handy to keep some in my car. Sometimes I get really sweaty when I’m working, especially if the home I’m inspecting has a crawl space underneath. It’s not unusual for me to crawl back out with my hair soaked with sweat. I really hate greeting the next client like that, so wouldn’t it be great if I could do a quick dry shampoo while out in the field?

Just today I found the answer to my question. Not only is dry shampoo still available, it now comes in color-matched shades that won’t leave me with white flakes on my dark work shirts. I can shampoo in the field and my clients will never know that they just missed seeing me at my worst. Those old formulas were in dry white powder form and always left a lot of residue. Salon Grafix’s Dry Shampoo line is a spray powder that:

• Easily brushes off
• Leaves hair revitalized
• Leaves no white powder
• Has no oil residue
• Leaves you with clean and shiny hair

How bizarre is it that this popped up on my radar just when I’d been talking about it for the first time in a couple of decades? How wonderful is it that Salon Grafix makes it in a formula that will fit so easily into my lifestyle?

Technorati Tags: dry shampoo, Salon Grafix

December 4, 2007

Go shopping at Fickle Food

I’ve abused my friend Jo over at FickleFood. She won a blog review in my Tuesday Teaser contest several weeks ago. I procrastinated and got distracted and forgot to get back on track. My apologies, Jo! I promise I’ll try to do better in the future.

Fickle Food is for all of those people who revel in finding unique gifts for every occassion. Jo should be your best friend this month if that’s you because she has a knack for finding wonderful items that I never see anywhere else. I assume she must have some secret sources that she uses to find her exclusives. I can only show you a sample here, but I hope it whets your appetite for more. You can literally find something for everyone among the beautiful stuff she’s reviewed.

Having been in pest control for over a quarter of a decade, I have a collection of bug jewelry. I’m thinking I need to freshen up my wardrobe with a French-cuff shirt so I can wear these bee cuff links on the next occasion when I have to dress up. Yeah, they’re made for the man with a sense of whimsy, but we steal their shirts don’t we? Why not their jewelry, too? Maybe you have a man in your life who would appreciate them (and you could borrow them for yourself, too!) If you’re too girly to be into bugs, don’t despair, though. I give all of the sea glass I find while snorkeling to a friend who makes and sells jewelry at local craft fairs. Now you can have some too, or select a special piece for someone’s stocking this Christmas. Every piece reflects the uniqueness that time and tide wash into this delicate and beautiful sea glass jewelry. Jo even has jewelry for people who don’t appreciate beauty in their bodily adornments. I’m thinking of teens and pre-teens who want their jewelry to make a bit of a shocking statement. I can’t imagine anyone over twenty wearing this disgusting tongue jewelry, but I know a few warped young people who certainly would.

Most of the items that caught my eye today are jewelry but don’t let that limit you when you check out Jo’s place. She’s got so much more than just that. You can find unique holiday decorations, baby and pet gifts, home decor and some off-the-wall gift suggestions. Her front page today features some truely beautiful Victorian Christmas ornaments and she recently found a cathedral bundt cake pan that would make a spectacular centerpeice for your holiday party. If you’re needing inspiration for your holiday shopping, go let Jo spark your imagination.

Technorati Tags: blog review, blogs, holiday gifts, shopping